The Teashop on the Corner

What a charming and delightful story this turned out to be! The Teashop on the Corner is set in a literary cafe where a group of strangers find themselves supporting and caring for one another as friends. The discussions they have about their favorite books were fun to eavesdrop on and the literary themed desserts they enjoyed - like Holmes rum truffle and Vampire red velvet cake - sounded scrumptious. There’s a bittersweet sadness in each their lives that they are singly working through and they find that “company on the journey would be good”. I underlined so many heartfelt quotables in this that if I listed them all here it would almost be like copying the entire book.

The Teashop on the Corner was the perfect book to read in the lead up to Christmas – food, friendship, love and overcoming life’s stumbling blocks wrapped up in a delightful package. My only regret is that I didn’t write this review earlier so you could all rush out and buy it for Christmas! Never mind – there’s long, lazy summer days in Australia and long, cosy nights in the northern hemisphere to be had this month, so get on to it! This book is perfect for fans of Maeve Binchy and Cathy Kelly as it has that warm, friendly feeling that you’re part of a community.

The story opens with the funeral of Carla’s husband Martin, who died unexpectedly. Nobody expected an astonishing secret to be revealed at the service and now show more poor Carla is heartbroken and about to be homeless. Meanwhile Will has just lost his business and his wife. What’s worse is that he’s now a roofing man with a fear of heights… Molly’s got a sneaking suspicion that she’s losing her mind as things keep on disappearing and her daughter-in-law suggests she should move into an old folks’ home. What will happen when her ex appears on her doorstep?

It’s Leni, owner of The Teashop on the Corner that brings this disparate crew together over Austen Tuesdays and delectable cakes. They become good friends, able to help each other through the hard times and see that good things are just around the corner.

Initially I was confused when a book with a title about a teashop opened with a funeral, but I soon got into the swing of things as each character was introduced. The characters were all so well drawn and likeable that I didn’t have a favourite, but wanted to know what was happening to all of them. This made the pages speed by until I was at the end and felt somewhat bereft at letting the characters go. Milly Johnson also put all of the main characters through the wringer, which made for a more exciting story and the added bonus of seeing them grow through the book (Carla especially). There’s also the mouth-watering description of Leni’s cakes to read as the characters meet each Tuesday – they had me thinking how I could recreate those treats in my kitchen…

The story, despite the sad parts that happen to each character, is a lovely one. Each page is handled with grace and gentle humour. While it’s a light read, it handles sensitive subjects (your heart will break as Ryan explains why he needs a part-time job – to save up for a Kindle) but it finishes with a warm glow. I highly recommend this as a book to relax with this summer (or winter) and let the story take you away to a place of good friends, love and delectable cakes.

Thank you to Simon & Schuster for the eARC. My review is honest and unaffected by the receipt of an eARC.

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If this story doesn’t make you cry, your heart may be made of stone.

The Teashop on the Corner has an endearing cast of main characters. Real people you feel you know and want to be friends with.
Carla finds out after the death of her husband that her whole marriage has been a lie.
Will has worked hard to build his business to the level where he and his wife can afford a life of luxury only to loose it all after a bad investment.
Molly, who only ever wanted to find her prince, feels that life has simply slipped away from her.
Shaun, brought up in foster homes and boys homes, had never known a mother’s love and his heart had frozen over. He now filled his days with work and books.
Leni, the teashop owner, has a smile for everyone and a show more willing ear to listen whenever needed. But buries her own hurt deep inside.
Pavitar, the retired surgeon, finds himself alone and lonely after his wife’s death.

They each happenstance upon the teashop on the corner as if it was beckoning them to come inside. Once inside they found friendship and acceptance.

The Teashop on the Corner has a perfect mix of tea, cake, books and friendship. Johnson’s descriptions of Leni’s literary wares makes me want to jump straight online to find some of these gems for myself. It fills me with a need to read the classics mentioned throughout the novel.
I fell in love with every character and I was captivated by their stories of love, loss and second chances. I just wanted to give Molly a big hug.

The Teashop on the corner is Milly Johnson’s tenth novel. Johnson was the recipient of RNA’s RomCom award 2014.

I recommend this novel to anyone who loves new found friendships and happy endings. show less

I have never read anything by Milly Johnson before, but after reading this I'll be going back to catch up on her other titles. It was a thoroughly enjoyable read, with a great cast of characters that had me hooked from the start.

The Teashop on the Corner has recently been opened by Leni Merryman and as well as serving tea and cake, offers a range of literature related stationary and accessories that delight her growing clientele.

The Teashop provides a haven of peace and respite for a particular group of people who gradually become friends and help each other through their assorted problems. While it might fall into the chick lit category and have a nice light hearted cover, some of themes that are covered are far from light and frothy. show more The various characters cope with a range of trials and tribulations including divorce, bankruptcy, bereavement, unemployment and child abuse, yet the subjects are dealt with in a sympathetic and caring way that neither trivialises or over dramatises the themes.

It is impossible not to warm to the characters and hope that they each get a happy outcome. As to whether that happens - you'll need to read the book to find out.

I received a copy of this book via NetGalley in return for an honest review. show less

There are a lot of characters in this book, and they're all introduced in the early chapters which makes it somewhat confusing. None of them feels really three-dimensional; they all have problems or issues, mostly stemming from events that are not their fault, some of them long-held secrets.

The subplots work well alongside each other although the multiple viewpoints makes it feel a bit flat. The 'bad' characters - of whom there are many - are all unpleasant stereotypes with no positive features at all. And while the action and direction of the many plots are well structured, the writing could have done with some editing in places.

I found it all a bit predictable, but the ending is mostly positive and everyone is able to move forward, show more letting go of their pasts. I doubt if I'll read this again, but if you like light-weight women's fiction, it could make a good holiday read.

Longer review here: https://suesbookreviews.blogspot.com/2023/10/the-teashop-on-corner-by-milly-john... show less

I received a copy of The Teashop on the Corner by Milly Johnson in exchange for an honest review.

Carla a widower but not really, Will Linton a business man whose wife leaves when his business folds, Molly a senior whose heart has never recovered from her lost love and whose son and daughter in law seem bent on taking everything she has, and Leni the owner of the Teashop and a few others all find solace and friendship at the Teashop on the Corner. This is a heartwarming novel, everyone in the group is holding on to a sadness, a secret and a longing that only seems bearable through the friendships found at the teashop. This story was so emotional, I cried and I laughed and I related to everyone in some way and I would absolutely recommend show more this as one of the best reads for the summer. show less

Leni Merryman's Teashop on the Corner combines her two loves of cooking and stationery. Her first customers include recently widowed Carla Pride who found out her husband's funeral that she was never married to him, Molly Jones whose rogue of a husband has just turned up on her doorstep saying he's dying and Shaun Collins, a gruff Irishman with a tragic past. Will they find comfort at the Teashop on the Corner and will they support Leni when she needs them herself. A lovely read. Would read more by the author.